Where Is the Dell Venue Pro?

Dell’s first smartphone with Windows Phone 7 was released earlier this month, but has run into multiple hardware problems that have delayed it from being widely available.

The Dell Venue Pro is a slider that sports a range of high-end features such as a large screen and fast processor. It supports T-Mobile USA.

The product launched exclusively in Microsoft’s own stores on October 8, and some early adopters quickly found problems with connecting to secured Wi-Fi networks. Users were asked to return the device for a replacement unit, but many of the replacements are unable to read SIM cards.

Stay TunedThe Venue Pro expected to be widely released in the near future. Lionel Menchaca, a company spokesperson, said recently:

“We are currently ramping production so that we can launch the Venue Pro on a bigger scale. Bottom line, Dell wants to be sure when you place an order that we can ship your Venue Pro in a timely manner.”

This model will eventually be available on T-Mobile’s website, as well Dell’s own site.

More Smartphone Problems at DellAfter years of avoiding the smartphone market, Dell released several models, none of which have made much of an impact.

Its first model, the Dell Aero, runs Google’s Android OS and is available from AT&T. It has been criticized for suffering for poor performance.

It’s second offering was a tablet phone called the Dell Streak. This debuted with Android OS 1.6, a very outdated version of Google’s operating system. An OS upgrade is just now starting to be available for this device.

Next came the Venue Pro, with its aforementioned list of issues.

Possibly as a result of all these problems, Ron Garriques is leaving the company next year. Garriques was formerly the chief of Motorola’s phone division, and was brought in to make Dell a player in this market.

Dell Venue Pro OverviewDell’s latest smartphone is a slider with a 4.1-inch, WVGA (800 x 480) capacitive touchscreen. This isn’t the only slider running Microsoft’s new mobile operating system, but it is the only one with a portrait-oriented sliding keyboard rather than the usual landscape-oriented one.